Age earth radiometric dating single parent dating athol idaho

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/ 09-Aug-2015 02:21

How do scientists know Earth is 4.54 billion years old?It’s actually difficult to tell from the surface of the planet alone, since plate tectonics constantly reshape its surface.Of course, it’s not a coincidence; the Sun and the planets all formed together from a diffuse cloud of hydrogen billions of years ago.In the early Solar System, all of the planets formed in the solar nebula; the remnants left over from the formation of the Sun.Older parts of the surface slide under newer plates to be recycled in the Earth’s core.

Various chemicals, and specifically radioactive isotopes were formed together.At some point in the early history of Earth, a planetoid the size of Mars crashed into our planet.The resulting collision sent debris into orbit that eventually became the Moon.Since they decay in a very known rate, these isotopes can be measured to determine how long the elements have existed.Small particles of dust collected together into larger and larger objects – pebbles, rocks, boulders, etc – until there were many planetoids in the Solar System.

These planetoids collided together and eventually enough came together to become Earth-sized.